A Spring Street man was charged with exposing himself and assault after he allegedly threw screwdrivers at a neighbor and then dropped his drawers, cops said.

At 7:45 p.m. Monday, police were dispatched to a multifamily home at 5 Spring St. to investigate a dispute between neighbors involving 55-year-old John Gray.

A 22-year-old man living on the first floor told cops he had a long-standing dispute with Gray, who lives on the second floor. The man, police said, claimed Gray at one point during an argument in the driveway threw two screwdrivers at him, although neither hit the man.

Gray allegedly retreated to his second-floor apartment, yelled through an open window at the younger man and then pulled down his pants and exposed himself.

The complainant told cops his mother and a female friend also witnessed the event. Police say both women corroborated the man’s statements.

Police said when they went upstairs to talk to Gray they found him standing in his hallway smoking a cigarette while holding onto an oxygen bottle. Gray admitted arguing with the downstairs tenant but denied exposing himself.

When police told him he was under arrest, and he should extinguish his cigarette, Gray allegedly continued smoking for at least another five to 10 seconds.

While being handcuffed police say Gray told officers he needs mostly pure oxygen because he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Police said they assured him an ambulance would be at police headquarters, located a block away, to attend to his needs.

Gray was driven from the police station to Morton Hospital where he was examined, treated and medically cleared, police said. He then was driven back downtown, booked for open and gross lewdness and assault with a dangerous weapon and placed in a cell without incident, police said.

Monday’s incident marked the second time in less than a week that Taunton police made an arrest for open and gross lewdness.

Last Wednesday a Foxboro attorney was arrested after he allegedly hoisted his Scottish kilt, exposing himself to an off-duty state trooper who was having lunch with his children in the Olive Garden on County Street.

Gray was arraigned Tuesday in Taunton Distract Court and was appointed a lawyer. He was released by Justice Heather Bradley after posting $50 bail and is due back for a pretrial hearing on June 24. Terms of his release include staying away from the alleged victim.